Published: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 12:21 a.m.

At the time, a special “hospital edition” of The Tuscaloosa News heralded its opening as “the greatest achievement from a humanitarian viewpoint accomplished by the present generation” and said that it was something that took “personal sacrifice.” It replaced the infirmary that previously served the town.

When the hospital opened its doors on March 28, 1923, the building located on University Boulevard on the University of Alabama’s campus served 50 patients. Almost immediately, the hospital’s leaders discovered a need for $25,000 in equipment for the new hospital. The money was raised by the community within a week, according to the DCH Foundation.

Druid City Hospital later expanded to 80 beds to serve Tuscaloosa’s growing population. But by World War II, just 20 years after the hospital was built, Tuscaloosa’s population had outgrown its modest hospital.

“DCH has expanded and always become larger, and kept adding on to parts of the hospital,” said Maxine Walker, a former director of the School of Nursing at the University of Alabama. Walker first began working with DCH in 1945.

At the time, Joseph Allen Duckworth, president of the private nonprofit corporation that operated the hospital, challenged the “new generation to put up as did the founders” to bring to Tuscaloosa and Northport the quality health care they deserved.

The private, nonprofit board that had operated the hospital since it opened could not raise money needed to keep up with the needs of a growing hospital, so the board turned DCH over to the city and county in 1946, according to DCH records. A nine-member board of directors was also created to lead the hospital, with members appointed by the local government.

Later that year, government officials leased a portion of Northington General Hospital, a temporary Army hospital that closed at the end of World War II. The Northington complex, where University Mall now stands, served as a temporary home for Druid City Hospital until a new hospital could be financed and constructed. A 1-cent sales tax was adopted at the time to finance the construction of a new hospital.

The new 240-bed hospital, which opened in December 1952, featured piped-in oxygen at every bedside, four major operating rooms and the state’s first surgical recovery room.

DCH continued to grow to keep pace with its evolving role as a regional medical center serving a seven-county area of more than 220,000 people. Additions from 1958 to 1976 brought DCH to 496 beds, and the opening of a five-story wing in 1976 made DCH the state’s third largest hospital.

As a regional medical center, DCH attracted physician specialists and constructed specialty units, including an intensive care nursery, coronary and intensive care units, subintensive care units, open-heart surgery, an orthopedic unit and a pediatric unit. A state-of-the-art cancer center — later named the Lewis and Faye Manderson Cancer Center at DCH — opened its doors in 2009.

In 2012, the hospital served more than 23,000 admitted patients and 1,723 babies were born, according to hospital data.

Lucy Jordan, a former director of volunteer services with DCH, said that although the building has changed much over the years, it’s the people who dedicate their lives to serving the patients at DCH that has made DCH so special. Jordan began working with the hospital’s volunteer service in the early 1970s.

“You wouldn’t find more dedicated people anywhere,” Jordan said. “The hospital contributes so much to the livelihood of the West Alabama area.”

DCH has been part of the lifeblood of the Tuscaloosa community for many years, although it was most evident during and after the April 27, 2011, tornado, said Jordan, who was a patient at DCH that day.

“We’ve had several big emergencies like the storm over the years, and all the emergency calamities have been handled well,” Jordan said. “I was surprised and thrilled with the actions of the nursing staff all over the hospital (during the April 27, 2011 tornado.) It impressed me so much.”

But, she would expect DCH to go above and beyond for the Tuscaloosa community, she said.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | DCH Regional Medical Center — formerly Druid City Hospital — opened its doors in Tuscaloosa 90 years ago today.</p><p>At the time, a special “hospital edition” of The Tuscaloosa News heralded its opening as “the greatest achievement from a humanitarian viewpoint accomplished by the present generation” and said that it was something that took “personal sacrifice.” It replaced the infirmary that previously served the town. </p><p>When the hospital opened its doors on March 28, 1923, the building located on University Boulevard on the University of Alabama's campus served 50 patients. Almost immediately, the hospital's leaders discovered a need for $25,000 in equipment for the new hospital. The money was raised by the community within a week, according to the DCH Foundation. </p><p>Druid City Hospital later expanded to 80 beds to serve Tuscaloosa's growing population. But by World War II, just 20 years after the hospital was built, Tuscaloosa's population had outgrown its modest hospital.</p><p>“DCH has expanded and always become larger, and kept adding on to parts of the hospital,” said Maxine Walker, a former director of the School of Nursing at the University of Alabama. Walker first began working with DCH in 1945.</p><p>At the time, Joseph Allen Duckworth, president of the private nonprofit corporation that operated the hospital, challenged the “new generation to put up as did the founders” to bring to Tuscaloosa and Northport the quality health care they deserved. </p><p>The private, nonprofit board that had operated the hospital since it opened could not raise money needed to keep up with the needs of a growing hospital, so the board turned DCH over to the city and county in 1946, according to DCH records. A nine-member board of directors was also created to lead the hospital, with members appointed by the local government. </p><p>Later that year, government officials leased a portion of Northington General Hospital, a temporary Army hospital that closed at the end of World War II. The Northington complex, where University Mall now stands, served as a temporary home for Druid City Hospital until a new hospital could be financed and constructed. A 1-cent sales tax was adopted at the time to finance the construction of a new hospital.</p><p>The new 240-bed hospital, which opened in December 1952, featured piped-in oxygen at every bedside, four major operating rooms and the state's first surgical recovery room.</p><p>DCH continued to grow to keep pace with its evolving role as a regional medical center serving a seven-county area of more than 220,000 people. Additions from 1958 to 1976 brought DCH to 496 beds, and the opening of a five-story wing in 1976 made DCH the state's third largest hospital.</p><p>As a regional medical center, DCH attracted physician specialists and constructed specialty units, including an intensive care nursery, coronary and intensive care units, subintensive care units, open-heart surgery, an orthopedic unit and a pediatric unit. A state-of-the-art cancer center — later named the Lewis and Faye Manderson Cancer Center at DCH — opened its doors in 2009. </p><p>In 2012, the hospital served more than 23,000 admitted patients and 1,723 babies were born, according to hospital data.</p><p>Lucy Jordan, a former director of volunteer services with DCH, said that although the building has changed much over the years, it's the people who dedicate their lives to serving the patients at DCH that has made DCH so special. Jordan began working with the hospital's volunteer service in the early 1970s.</p><p>“You wouldn't find more dedicated people anywhere,” Jordan said. “The hospital contributes so much to the livelihood of the West Alabama area.”</p><p>DCH has been part of the lifeblood of the Tuscaloosa community for many years, although it was most evident during and after the April 27, 2011, tornado, said Jordan, who was a patient at DCH that day. </p><p>“We've had several big emergencies like the storm over the years, and all the emergency calamities have been handled well,” Jordan said. “I was surprised and thrilled with the actions of the nursing staff all over the hospital (during the April 27, 2011 tornado.) It impressed me so much.”</p><p>But, she would expect DCH to go above and beyond for the Tuscaloosa community, she said. </p><p>“(DCH) has always been at the heart of the community,” Jordan said. </p><p>Reach Lydia Seabol Avant at 205-722-0222 or lydia.seabolavant@tuscaloosanews.com.</p>